Chapter Twenty: Seeking Some Amusement

Jiang Yunzhu skipped class, sneaking out of school with a handful of bread rolls to feed the pigeons in the square. When her bread was gone, she turned to fetch another and noticed, not far behind, a few older boys roughing up a teenager sprawled on the ground.

The boy curled himself up, shielding his head with both hands. His eyes brimmed with rage, desperation, and even a biting malice. Yet he did not utter a sound.

That look unsettled Jiang Yunzhu.

“What are you doing?” she called out.

“Mind your own business, little girl. He’s a thief, stole our money—he deserves a beating!”

But Jiang Yunzhu saw stubborn defiance in the boy’s gaze.

Something shifted inside her. She stepped forward, raising her voice, “Even if he did steal, you should call the police. You can’t just beat someone to death. Let him give your money back, that’s all.”

The group paused.

The leader turned to Jiang Yunzhu, “He stole, he deserves it! He should’ve thought about the consequences before stealing.”

“He broke the law, so call the police. There are laws for a reason—you can’t just take matters into your own hands,” she argued.

“All easy for you to say; it’s not your money. You just talk,” another chimed in.

“If you want to stand up for him, pay us what he stole and we’ll leave him alone,” someone else added.

Jiang Yunzhu glanced down. The boy’s clothes were tattered, his face gaunt and yellowish—likely driven by desperation to steal.

She thought for a moment and spoke up, “How much? I’ll pay!”

“Five hundred!” The leader sized her up, “Can you afford it?”

Jiang Yunzhu pulled out five hundred yuan and handed it over. “Here, take the money and go.”

The boys counted the bills, and once certain they were paid in full, finally left.

“Foolish,” the boy suddenly muttered.

Only then did Jiang Yunzhu look at him.

“I only stole two hundred, but they made you pay five hundred.” He lay there, dark eyes fixed on her, a cold, sardonic smile curling his lips. “Stupid.”

“I try to help you, and you insult me,” Jiang Yunzhu replied, unbothered. “Can you get up?”

He struggled but couldn’t rise, so she walked over. Yet Jiang Yunzhu was too slender; her first attempt to help him up ended with him slipping and falling again.

The boy curled tightly, pain wracking his body. He coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“Are you alright?” Jiang Yunzhu was startled, her concern genuine. “I’ll call an ambulance, get you to a hospital.”

“Mind your own business.” He lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling weakly as he spoke with biting sarcasm, “I don’t have money for the hospital.”

Jiang Yunzhu, still young and shaken by the scene, quickly regained her composure, “Didn’t they say you stole money? If you got away with it, why can’t you pay for the hospital?”

The boy scoffed, struggling to his feet and swaying unsteadily. “The money’s got to last. Hospitals cost money—I won’t waste it. What, you want to pay for me?”

A hint of ridicule lingered in his eyes.

A bystander who’d watched the whole ordeal snapped, “The girl just paid for you, handled your trouble, and now you’re greedy enough to ask for more!”

“Come on, let’s get you checked at the hospital,” Jiang Yunzhu said, not taking offense.

She had caught the stubborn unwillingness in his eyes. She moved forward, but the boy didn’t follow.

Jiang Yunzhu turned, “Can’t walk?”

“Don’t pretend to be so caring,” he replied in an even tone, as though used to such things. “Are you planning to trick me somewhere and beat me up? Or sell me off?”

Jiang Yunzhu was silent for a moment, then said, “Wait here.”

She hurried to a nearby pharmacy, returning with medicine for him.

The boy was taken aback.

“If you won’t go to the hospital, treat your wounds yourself,” Jiang Yunzhu said.

He gripped the medicine and looked up, “Are you stupid, helping a thief?”

“You want to survive, so you became a thief. Everyone has their own hardships,” Jiang Yunzhu said, understanding.

A boy with nothing, desperate to live, must try every possible way.

His expression softened slightly, but his eyes remained cold. “Nice words.”

“Do you have family?” Jiang Yunzhu suddenly asked.

“Why do you care?” He frowned.

“So you don’t.” Jiang Yunzhu pulled out some money. “Consider this a loan. It should last you a while. Don’t steal again—find another way to survive.”

“A loan?”

Jiang Yunzhu nodded, “Yes, a loan to a friend. From today on, you’re my friend.”

Someone nearby sneered, “Girl, making friends with a thief—wait till he steals from you. You’ll regret it.”

The boy clenched the money tightly.

“I have to go,” Jiang Yunzhu glanced at the time. “Hope we meet again.”

He watched her leave.

They would meet again—he was certain.

…

That was the first encounter between Jiang Yunzhu and Shen Tingxiao in their youth.

Later, Shen Tingxiao followed Jiang Yunzhu home, becoming her companion for about a year. One day, Shen Tingxiao handed her a phone number, saying he’d found his family and would come back to see her.

But ten years passed, and Shen Tingxiao never returned.

Jiang Yunzhu, however, kept the number safe.

“When will you be back?” Shen Tingxiao asked.

Jiang Yunzhu snapped out of her memories, “My flight’s in two days. I’ll see you then—and all our old friends.”

“I wonder if you’ll recognize me,” Shen Tingxiao’s voice grew gentle. “I’m looking forward to seeing you.”

They chatted a bit longer before hanging up.

Shen Tingxiao ended the call, but the smile on his lips lingered.

He held a boarding pass in his hand.

The flight matched Jiang Yunzhu’s; their seat numbers were close.

“Shen, your smile’s so wide you could go fishing with it,” Ge Xingjing joked.

Shen Tingxiao suppressed his grin, glancing at him, “If you’re so idle, I’ll find something for you to do.”

“What?” Ge Xingjing groaned, “Forget it—Shen never gives easy tasks.”

Shen Tingxiao’s brow arched slightly.

Ge Xingjing relented, “Alright, what is it?”

“Just keep Shen Ruizhang entertained, so he doesn’t interfere with Yunzhu coming home,” Shen Tingxiao said, looking up.

Ge Xingjing immediately understood.